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` irma Starts Patented December 15, 1903.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,130, dated December15, 1903. Application iiled May l5, 1903. 'Serial No. 157,309, A(Nomodel.)

To all whom tm/Cty concern:

Beit known that i, GEORGE C. BULTMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harrison, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wrenches; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in wrenches.

The object of the present invention is to provide a wrench which is soconstructed as to enable the sliding jaw thereof to be very quicklyadjusted to adapt the wrench for use with various sizes of nuts, therebyovercoming the objectionable features common to the ordinaryconstruction of wrenches in which the adjustment is effected through themedium `of a screw.

A further object of theinvention is to provide a quick-acting wrenchembodying in its construction simple and efficient means to effect alocking engagement between the sliding jaw and the shank of the wrench,thus permitting the sliding jaw to be quickly slid along the shank toreduce the size of the space between the jaws o f the Wrench and at thesame to enable the sliding jaw to be moved quickly from the stationaryjaw to increase the size of the space therebetween, such adjustmentbeing eected through the operation of suitable means adapted to releasethe sliding jaw from locking engagement with the shank.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a wrenchthe parts of which are so assembled as to permit free and easy removalthereof, thus adapting the wrench to be readily repaired in the event ofbreakage of any of the parts and facilitating access to the elementsinvolved in the construction of the wrench.

With these general objects in View and others which will appear as thenature of the improvements is better understood the invention consists,substantially, in the novel construction, combination, andarrangement ofparts,as will be hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the appended claims.

While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what isbelieved to be a preferable embodiment thereof, it will of course beunderstood. that the same is susceptible of various changes in the form,proportion, and minor details of construction, and the right istherefore reserved to modify or vary the invention as falls within thespirit and scope thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a wrench constructed inaccordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View, thesliding jaw being shown in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view on the line 3 3, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the shank of thewrench, 2 the stationary jaw thereof, and 3 the usual handle, which maybe of any suitable construction.

The shank l is provided at one of its edges with a series ofratchet-teeth 4, extending longitudinally thereof and approximatelythroughout the entire length of said shank, and said shank is alsoprovided at the corners immediately contiguous to the teeth et withbeveled faces 5 fora purpose to be presently stated.

Mounted upon the shank l and adapted to move thereon in the usual manneris a sliding jaw 6,v which jaw is provided with a central passage orbore 7 to receive the shank l, and said passage or bore 7 has at two ofits opposite corners beveled faces or ways 8, designed to slide upon thefaces 5 of the shank l, and thus impart a free sliding movement i tothesliding jaw 6 without liability of the latter engaging the teeth 4c ofthe shank and wearing the same by contact therewith.

The jaw 6 is provided at its interior and communicating with the passageor bore 7 with a central chamber 9, which chamber is also provided witha throat 10, whereby access may be had to the chamber 9 from the outeredge of the jaw 6. The chamber 9 is designed to receive a locking-pawl11, which pawl is provided at its face immediately contiguous to theteeth 4 with ratchet-teeth 12, designed to engage the ratchet-teeth 4E,and thus lock the pawl 11 in engagement with the shank l. The pawl 11 ispivotally secured at its forward end in the chamber 9 through the mediumof a screw 13 or its equivalent, and thus said pawl may swing into andout ofengagernent with the teeth 4, as will presently more fully appear.The rear end ofthe pawl- 11 is provided-with a recess 14, one side ofwhich is elongated to form a convex nose 15, and seated upon said noseis the forward end of a leaf-spring 16, the rear end of which is ixedlyconnected to the interior of the throat 10 through the medium of a screw17, arranged Within said throat. which the screw 17 is positioned isimmediately adjacent to the outer end of the throat 10, and thus it willbe seen that said screw may be readily removed by simply introducing asuitable instrument into said throat and engaging the head of the screw,and in the event that the spring 16 should become fractured the same maybe readily replaced by first removing the screw 17, whereupon a newspring is introduced into the throat 10 and seated upon the nose 15,after which the screw 17 is replaced.

In order to release the locking-pawl 11 from engagement with theratchetteeth of the shank, a trigger 18 is employed, and said trigger ispivotally held within the throat 10 by means of a screw 19, arranged inthe sides of the jaw 6 and having its head at the exterior thereof, asclearly shown in Fig. 1` The forward end of the trigger 18 is receivedby the recess 14, while the rear end of said trigger projects beyond thethroat 10 and is thus positioned to be readily grasped'by a inger of theuser of the wrench. By employing the screw 19 and arranging 'the same inthe relation described said screw may be readily removed to effectremoval of the trigger 18, and at the same 'time said screw provides afulcrum upon which the trigger 18 swings.

In using the herein-described wrench if it be desired to reduce the sizeof the space between the stationary and movable jaws it is merelynecessary to apply pressure upon the movable jaw in a direction towardthe stationary head 2. As the ratchet-teeth 4 ineline toward the handle,the locking-pawl 11, under the stress of the spring 16, will readilyslide over the teeth 4, and thus permit the jaw 6 to be very speedilymoved toward the stationary jaw 2. The spring 16, however, normallyurges the pawl 11 into engagement with the ratchet-teeth 4, so thatWhatever may be the adjusted position of the sliding jaw 6 the same isalways held in such adjusted position by means of the locking-pawl 11,and thus when the wrench is applied to a nut the sliding jaw iseectually prevented receding therefrom. If now it be desired to move thesliding jaw 6 away from the stationary jaw, it is merely necessary toplace one finger upon the trigger 18, and upon pressure ,being'exertedthereon said trigger will be swung upon its fulcruni, and by reason ofthe forward end thereof being received by the recess 14 the locking-pawlis swung The point spring 16, with a resultant disengagement of theteeth 12 from the teeth 4. As this disengagement-removes all impedimentto the #ree-movement of the jaw 6 in a direction away from the jaw 2,said jaw 6 may be easily drawn toward the handle to the desired eX-tent., whereupon as soon as pressure is released from the trigger 18 thespring 16 immediately acts upon the pawl and forces the teeth of thelatter into engagement with the teeth 4, thus again locking the jaw 6against any further movement away from the jaw 2. In the slidingmovement of the jaw 6 it will bggnoted that the faces or ways 8of saidjaw move upon the beveled faces 5 of the shank 1, and consequently thecorners of the bore 7 do not engage the teeth 4, thus protecting thelatter from wear and always maintaining the same in a sharp condition tobe engaged by the teeth of the pawl 11.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a wrench of the class described, the combination with the shankthereof provided with a series of ratchet-teeth and having beveled facesat the corners contiguous to said teeth, of a sliding jaw mounted uponsaid shank and provided with beveled faces or ways fitting upon thebeveled faces of the shank to facilitate movement of the sliding jaw onthe latter, a locking-pawl arranged in said sliding jaw and engaging theratchetteeth of the shank for locking the sliding jaw in adjustedposition thereon, means for urging said pawl into engagement with saidratchet-teeth, and means for actuating said pawl to release the latterfrom engagement with said teeth.

2. In a wrench of the class described, the combination with the shankthereof provided with a series of ratchet-teeth and having beveled facesat'the corners contiguous to said teeth, of a sliding jaw mounted uponsaid shank and provided with beveled faces or ways fitting upon thebeveled faces of the shank to facilitate movement of the sliding jaw onthe latter, alocking-pawl arranged in saidvsliding jaw and engaging theratchetteeth of the shank for locking the sliding jaw in adjustedposition thereon, a spring for urging said pawl into engagement withsaid ratchet-teeth, and means for actuating said pawl to release thelatter from engagement with said teeth.

8. In a` wrench of the class-described, the combination with the shankthereof provided with a series of ratchet-teeth and having beveled facesat the corners contiguous to said teeth, of a sliding jaw mounted uponsaid shank and provided with beveled faces or ways fitting upon thebeveled faces of the shank to facilitate movement of the sliding jaw onthe latter, a locking-pawl arranged in said sliding jaw and engaging theratchetteeth of the shank for `locking the sliding upon its pivot 13against the tension of the jaw in adjusted position thereon, a springfor IOO IIO

urging said pawl into engagement with said ratchet-teeth, and a triggerfor actuating said pawl to release the latter from engagemen with saidteeth.

4. In a wrench of the class described, the combination with the shankthereof provided with a series of ratchet-teeth and having beveled facesat the corners contiguous to said teeth, of a sliding jaw mounted uponsaid shank and provided with beveled faces or Ways tting upon thebeveled faces of the shank to facilitate movement of the sliding jaw onthe latter, a locking-pawl pivoted within said jaw and adapted to engagethe teeth of the shank for locking said jaw in

